Born as Shri Venkana Bhatta, Shri Raghavendra Swami was a child prodigy. Having been left fatherless at a tender age, he was brought up by his elder brother Shri Gururajacharya and educated at his brother-in-law’s Lakshminarasimhacharya at Madurai.
It is said that he spiritually came of age post his wedding to the noble Sarasvati, through whom the blessing of the Devi Sarasvati Herself shone upon him. He went to Kumbhakonam to continue his education and establish himself as Mahabhashya Venkatanathacharya.
The sculpture that you see on this page is a murti of the great saint and scholar of Dharma. He is seated in ardha-padmasana, an indication of the contemplative tendencies that set him apart from his peers at Kumbhakonam. Clad simply in a dhoti and a veil (angavastram), he raises the right hand in blessing with the sacred rosary dangling from the thumb. The left-hand rests gently on the left knee.
Zoom in on the face of Shri Raghavendra Swami, and its superbly serene composure. Vaishnavite tilaka gracing the brow. Large eyes directed straight ahead, the brilliance of his scholarship pouring forth from them. Note the dense beard and moustache that characterise the saintly face of the Maharaj. Finally, the makeshift aureole at the back frames the saintly figure in the foreground.
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